What besides a tarantula hawk is a 3 inch black hornet with velvet red wings that is found in Arizona?

Question

I was helping a friend of mine move some water into a storage room when he pointed out a hornet-looking bug that he had smashed earlier and could no longer fly, but was still alive. It was completely black, about 3 to 3 1/2 inches long, a fat butt with a stinger, and velvet red wings, like the color of the carpet at the Grammy's. I researched Tarantula Hawk and it looks similar, but not the same. We are stationed out in Phoenix Az so I'm thinking it'd be a bug in the desert, since I've been all over the country and never seen anything like it.

Answer 1

Learn to ID them, here -

http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740

http://greennature.com/article1899.html

http://www.einsteins-emporium.com/life/a...

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/

http://www.insectimages.org/